Naraku's Priestess
by Voldemort's Alisna
Summary: Naraku wants the shards for a reason other than power. What is it? Will Kikyo help him get it? Most importantly, could they ever love each other? NarakuXKikyo, InuXKag, MirokuXSango, and other random couples.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This may come as a shock... but I don't own any part of Inuyasha, show or character-wise! (readers: gasp)

Naraku sat cross-legged by the window, staring out dully at the purple miasma choking his castle. His thoughts, as usual, were elsewhere. Kanna, one of his servants, stood stoically by the paper doors; her face, as always, revealing nothing. Long moments passed.

Suddenly Naraku blinked; a lazy movement that would have gone unnoticed if it hadn't been the first time he had blinked in an hour. A human would have gone blind. But Naraku wasn't completely human.

"Kanna," he said coldly, not bothering to turn around. Kanna had been made from him, and as such, he always knew where she was. It was an alarming bond that bothered another one of his servants, Kagura, immensely.

"Where is the priestess?" He continued.

Kanna's face didn't shift at all. "Not here," she whispered in her deceptively innocent voice. Naraku's red eyes narrowed dangerously. Most would have run in fear by now.

"I realize that," he hissed, barely able to keep track of his fists. "What I want to know is, why isn't she here yet?"

A chuckle by the door made him flinch slightly. Creating the other wench present had been one of his less intelligent ideas.

"Things not going according to plan, my lord?" Kagura mocked, tapping her snarling lips with her fan.

Naraku stood. With in a moment, he had the idiot puppet of a woman by the jaw, holding her wriggling form off the wooden planks. Digging one claw deliberately into her flesh, he glared at her for a long minute. Kanna didn't move, or make any sign that she'd seen anything during the exchange.

"My patience with you grows thin, Kagura," he warned. Kagura's eyes narrowed to match his own lidded slits.

"Then kill me, my lord," she mocked. Naraku resisted the urge to do just that. He knew it was truly what she wanted, but he still had a use for her. One she knew nothing about.

"I will," Naraku promised. It was one of the few promises he made that he actually intended to keep. "But not now," he continued. Kagura's face flashed with annoyance once, then went blank.

Naraku turned away impatiently, striding to the window with just a few steps. No ghostly shape penetrated the miasma. Naraku swore.

"I'm going out," he announced abruptly, reaching for the fluffy white pile that was pooled on the floor. When draped casually over his body, it revealed itself to be a baboon cloak. Fully cloaking both his purple kimono and pale face, it would have served as a clever disguise if his enemies weren't well aware of his costume by now.

"Your patience is less than impressive," Kagura muttered bitterly behind him. Naraku determinedly ignored her, fading away into the air as soon as he wished it.

On a green coated cliff a considerable distance away, Kikyo lay still on her back, one hand on her stomach, the other beneath her head. Her eyes were closed, matching the equally tranquil expression on her face. A passerby may have thought she was just another woman, napping another lazy afternoon away.

But inside, Kikyo was in turmoil. For one thing, her borrowed clay body was crying out for a nourishing soul. Where were her soul catchers anyway? But that wasn't her major concern, for her eel-like pets had never failed her before. No, Kikyo's turmoil was of a different kind. The intensely painful emotional kind. Strange that a dead body could feel so much, but it was true.

A stranger arrived. No, not a stranger.

"Naraku," Kikyo breathed quietly, her eyes remaining closed. Footsteps closed the distance between them. Only when he was standing over her did she open her eyes. She calmly noted the anger in his face.

"We had a deal," Naraku said quietly. The rage in his carefully controlled voice would have stilled Kikyo's heart if it hadn't stopped beating fifty years ago.

"We still do," Kikyo replied, suddenly not liking her body spread before him like a waiting meal. She sat up in one fluid motion and pulled her knees to her chin, staring out at the river below while feigning innocent boredom.

Naraku's jaw worked beneath the cloak. "The shards?" He asked, fighting back impatience.

Kikyo sighed, true misery being the cause. "I don't have them. Yet."

"Then you are of no use to me." Naraku turned and walked away. "Enjoy your second life, Kikyo. Alone and without purpose."

That did it. Kikyo stood quickly and turned, glaring after Naraku's rigid back. "I'll have them soon," she said, concealing a tremor in her cold voice. She didn't want him to leave. He was the only person she had talked to in a month that didn't treat her like the angelic healer all the villagers mistankingly thought her as. It was ironic that one of the only two people she felt like being herself around were the man that killed her and the man she had thought had killed her for fifty years.

"What's the problem so far?" Naraku asked, pausing midstride.

Relief flooded through Kikyo alarmingly. Choosing to ignore her emotions, she turned her thoughts to earlier that afternoon. Back to when she had seen Kagome sitting in Inuyasha's lap, while his clawed fingers gently stroked her hair. Memories of his fingers massaging her own scalp had proven too painful even for the hardened Kikyo and she had been forced to leave before her thievery could be carried out.

Her silence seemed to prove whatever Naraku's suspicions were. "You still love him," he snarled.

Kikyo stiffened, every muscle taut with anger. Anger, but surprisingly not hatred. "I do not," she retorted firmly. "But don't pride yourself, I don't hate him just because of what you did to come between us. I hate him because of his indecision. His pathetic, human indecision."

Naraku turned, a smirk undoubtedly hidden by the blue mask.

"I said I would deliver the shards, and that is what I'm going to do," Kikyo continued before Naraku could cut her down with his words again. "And when I get them, I will give them to you. And using their power, you will destroy Inuyasha. Our bargain remains, Naraku."

Naraku hesitated, thinking. "Death has changed you, Kikyo," he said finally.

Kikyo snorted, just another thing she had picked up since her rebirth. "It would be impossible not to," she said quietly.

Naraku regarded her thoughtfully a moment longer, then turned casually and walked away. Waving a hand at her carelessly, he called back one more thing: "I'll be waiting."

She would think he meant the shards, he knew, but really there was more meaning in his words. Long since he had been called Onigumo, he had wanted to make Kikyo his. When the burns had rendered his body useless and ugly, it had been her cooling hands and soothing words that had kept him clinging to life. Later, when his eyes had healed a little, he had noticed her eyes. Wise and sad, caring but reclutant to show it. If his arms had been in working condition, he would have reached up to stroke her sorrows away. But he couldn't. Perhaps it was his bitterness at knowing he could never hold or have her that warped his mind to the point where his thoughts of her were of something else entirely. It was most likely true that she was the reason he had called the demons to feast upon his soul that night so many years ago... And then Naraku had been born. Onigumo's memories and feelings still surfaced, mostly in dreams, but they were dulled, and marred. Naraku did not share Onigumo's obsessive love for Kikyo. Only Onigumo's longing for power and strength had survived the transformation between bodies. But Naraku could not deny it from himself that there was something about Kikyo that plagued him. She was a mystery, that miko, one that Naraku wanted to unravel. And someday, when the shards had been gathered, and Inuyasha's head decorated some dreary corner in his castle... Naraku would play with the toy he secretly longed for.

Hi, guys. Truth be told, this story was written awhile ago, but I was waiting for summer so I could post chapters frequently. Second chapter is ready to publish, but I'm waiting for some feedback first. Any opinions/suggestions/proclamations of HOW COULD YOU/just dropping in to say hi ;) are very much appreciated. Thanks! Voldemort's Alisna


	2. Chapter 2

"Inuyasha, don't be such a baby," Kagome chided gently.

"Feh," the half-demon replied, tossing his chin defiantly. "I've said it a million times before, but no one will listen to me..."

A few steps ahead, Sango rolled her eyes at Miroku. "Here we go again," she muttered. Miroku chuckled nervously, fully aware of Inuyasha's keen ears.

"I just don't see what we gain from helping humans when we don't even any jewel shards out of it!"

Kagome sighed patiently, understanding that Inuyasha only said such things to appear strong and cold, like the full demon he wished to be. She had learned ago that he did care for humans, especially when it came to a few certain ones. The soft smile of a girl in love spread across her face as she remembered the confession of his feelings to her the night before. Yes he had stuttered, yes he had shuffled his feet, but his words had been backed strongly by sincerity. The threat of Kikyo, Inuyasha's old love, had finally passed. Kagome could have danced right there on the path, but she restrained herself for Inuyasha's sake. Inuyasha was adorable when he was dying of embarrassment, but she couldn't tease him too much. Discreetly, Kagome took Inuyasha's hand into her own. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice, but Kagome thought she saw a small smile behind his long hair.

Suddenly, Kagome felt a yank in her chest. She looked up, surprised. Jewel shards!

"I sense the Sacred Jewel!" She announced.

"What?" Inuyasha replied as usual. Kagome closed her eyes a moment, trying to figure out where they were. They seemed to be moving.

Her eyes flashed open. Pointing a finger to the forest directly ahead, she immediately took the lead.

Moments later, the group of jewel hunters burst into a clearing. A frog youkai crouched in the center, hopping up and down rhythmically. In one clawed hand lay a girl in her early teens. Blood dripped steadily from a deep wound in the girl's stomach, ending its journey by plopping into a growing red puddle at the youkai's feet. This by itself may not have served as damning evidence, but the blood smearing the frog's face certainly was.

Inuyasha's face darkened alarmingly. "Bastard," he whispered. While he unsheathed Tetsuiga, Kagome glanced around, confused.

"Inuyasha," she began, "I don't sense the shards anymore..."

"Doesn't matter!" Inuyasha yelled, running towards the youkai with a war cry. The frog sneered and leaped away from the first swing with ease. When the giant youkai landed again, the ground shook violently.

This time, Sango tried her luck. Running forward, she launched her boomerang towards the frog's head. The youkai shocked them all by spitting yellow liquid over the weapon that was still flying towards him. Sango watched in horror as her favorite weapon melted in the acidic spit before it could reach the target.

Inuyasha swore violently. "Get back, Sango," he said gruffly. Eyes wide with horror, the young youkai exterminator obeyed, retreating to the side of the lecherous monk.

"Get back, Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted, starting to release the beads holding his purple robe over the lethal sucking hole in his hand.

"No!" Kagome shouted, pointing to the frog's hand, where the girl lay still. "The girl may still be alive!"

Inuyasha ignored the useless chatter and leaped at the youkai's eyes. The sword plunged deep, passing through the eye socket easily and penetrating the brain behind. The frog let out one last pained howl, before falling to the ground. Inuyasha managed to grab the girl before she was crushed beneath the dead youkai's body.

Back on solid ground, Inuyasha lay the girl gently on the ground, cradling her head in his lap. All but Sango crowded around the two.

Kagome knelt down quickly, ignoring the blood staining her knees. Recalling health class, she put a gentle finger to an artery in the girl's neck. Expecting the worst, she was ecstatic to find a pulse.

Grinning at the others, she was about to relate the good news when the air was robbed from her throat. Frowning in confusion, she cocked her head at Inuyasha. He seemed very upset all of a sudden. His mouth was open in a yell, but why was no sound coming out?

And then the pain came. A stabbing, unforgettable pain in her stomach. Looking down, she was surprised to see a long-bladed knife protruding from her abdomen. Attached to the handle was a white hand, coated with two people's blood. Kagome's blurring eyes followed the arm to find her attacker was the girl they had just rescued. But the girl's eyes... completely black but for a ring of cruel yellow around the pupil. A demon? The last thing Kagome saw was the purple glow of a jewel shard in the demon girl's wound.

Unaware she was even speaking, she whispered "So that's where the shard went..." And then her head struck the ground and she thought no more.

"Priestess!" A man cried, pain wrecking his voice. Kikyo turned quickly from one patient to another. What a mess. Less than an hour ago, a giant frog youkai had passed, no, trampled through the small village she happened to be living in for the week. Most buildings were now piles of splinters on the ground, making simple tasks such as walking quite dangerous. Houses could be rebuilt... eventually. But most the people were in no shape to help remake their village. Ten were dead, and a young girl had been taken by the youkai. Who could say what had happened to her? As most of the men were burdened with grave, and possibly life-threatening injuries, no one had gone after the girl. Kikyo could have gone after her, but she had kept her power quiet, not wishing to draw attention to herself. It was sad, but it was what Kikyo had decided long ago: she would look out for herself this time around in life.

Besides, she was helping out here wasn't she? Pushing her guilt aside impatiently, she busied herself applying a splint to a screaming patient's shattered arm. The splint was just for show; the arm would be useless for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from behind. Afraid the frog youkai had returned to finish the village off, Kikyo turned quickly. A gasp of pain lodged in her throat, choking her.

"I-Inuyasha..." she whispered. He and his little gang were emerging from the forest, running quickly towards them. They were all covered in blood and looked terrified. They must have met the frog youkai, Kikyo thought beneath the numbness spreading throughout her body. Wait a minute... Kikyo squinted against the glare of the hot sun. There was the demon slayer... the monk... the little demon child that always tagged along with them... that cat... and of course, Inuyasha. Where is the wench? Then Kikyo's breath caught once more. Her reincarnation was so covered in blood that Kikyo had thought she was part of Inuyasha's red fire-rat kimono.

Against her will, Kikyo found her clay legs running towards the group. Inuyasha's faced didn't changed its horrified expression as she came closer. Kikyo realized he was so scared for Kagome that he didn't even recognize who was in front of him.

Pulling him to a stop, she regarded Kagome carefully. The girl wasn't dead. But she wasn't going to live much longer. Blood was streaming steadily from a stomach wound. Pulling the two jagged edges of Kagome's blouse apart, Kikyo eyed the cut. Clean with straight edges. A knife blade. Somebody had tried to kill the girl. Kikyo drifted off a moment, finding it humorlessly funny that both she and her reincarnation had been murdered with blades. And both had not died instantly. Kikyo winced as she remembered the cold bite of steel ripping muscle apart.

"K-Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked, dazed eyes sharpening a little. Kikyo felt a chill wrap her dead heart as she registered the grief haunting his eyes. They had been the same when she had shot him all those years ago. What would it feel like to watch helplessly as two women he had loved bleed to death?

Kikyo blinked back tears and motioned for Inuyasha to follow her. Entering one of the few buildings still standing, she instructed Inuyasha to place Kagome on one of the bloodstained futons inside. Kikyo had preformed more than one surgery here today.

"I need you all to leave," Kikyo instructed coldly, beginning to unbutton Kagome's blouse.

Inuyasha glared at her. She had never seen that look on his face when it was directed at her. It startled her, but did not change her mind.

"I can't work with people hovering over me," she snapped impatiently. Get out of here, traitorous bastard, she hissed silently.

Inuyasha opened his mouth, clearly ready to argue, but the priest pulled him from the hut before he could say anything. Outside, Kikyo heard his companions trying to calm him down.

Ignoring all sounds around her, Kikyo concentrated on the task at hand. Kagome had lost too much blood... why was she even bothering? She could stop the bleeding, but the chances that would be enough were very, almost impossibly, slim. Nevertheless, she reached for a small jar. She dipped her fingers into the hole in the girl's stomach. This mixture would help the blood to clot. But stitches were also necessary. A few quick pulls of a threaded needle, and the wound was closed. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the girl to die. Noticing she had over-estimated the necessary length of thread, Kikyo reached inside her kimono and extracted a small knife. Grasping the thread in one hand, she prepared to cut it.

It's amazing what holding a knife can do to a person. Such a small object, but nothing else gave the wielder such a sense of power. Old hatred flooded through Kikyo, enhanced by the fact that she could easily kill Kagome right now. After all, the girl was going to die anyway... what harm was there in killing her now? It would certainly help Kikyo get rid of some of the anger she had been bottling in since she saw Kagome in Inuyasha's lap...

Kikyo dropped the thread. Raising the blade slowly, she angled it at Kagome's throat. Taking a deep breath, she was about to plunge the knife downwards... but then a pair of golden eyes flashed in her mind. Kikyo froze. The knife quivered in her pale hand.

Shaking her head, a bitter laugh escaped her lips. She couldn't do it. Whether she wished to admit it to Naraku or not, she still loved Inuyasha. And she couldn't do this to him. Let cruel nature be the bad guy.

"KIKYO!" Inuyasha's voice screamed from the doorway. Kikyo spun, wondering what his problem was now? Then she realized the knife was still raised about Kagome's throat.

"No, Inuyasha," she started, pleading, but it was no use. Inuyasha had her pinned up against the wall in an instant. His face was so twisted with hatred that she hardly recognized him. She had blown it. He would never believe her, or forgive her, again.

"Inuyasha!" The priest shouted from behind Inuyasha. "Kikyo stitched Kagome's wound!"

Doubt flashed in Inuyasha's beautiful eyes. Then he snarled. "It's a trick," he hissed.

"Let me go, Inuyasha," Kikyo said quietly. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, thinking.

Then, with a vicious growl, he threw her towards the door. The priest sidestepped quickly to avoid a collision. Kikyo landed in a painful heap. Looking back, and seeing Inuyasha huddling over Kagome, Kikyo's broken heart broke again and she ran, unable to bear looking back.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello readers, I forgot to add a note last chapter... what I meant to say was thank you to Hasso and Hannah for your reviews. And then just an hour or two ago, Rune also reviewed my story. Thank you thank you thank you, it means the world to me.(beaming) Yes, anywho, this is the chapter where the plot... well, at least the main point, is revealed. The first two chapters were just a transition between the show to get you in the mood and stuff. Enough of my babbling, enjoy!

Kagome squirmed desperately beneath Kikyo's white hands. Wide brown eyes expanded and contracted with the shallow rise and fall of her starving lungs.

"K-Kikyo..." she gasped.

Without loosening her hold, Kikyo leaned in towards Kagome's lips. "Don't call for me, Kagome. Call for Inuyasha. See if he comes."

Silver tears leaked from the dying girl's overflowing eyes. White lips opened and closed a few times, but all that came out were painful squeaks. And it was too late anyway. After a shoulder spasm, her body's last ditch effort, the reincarnation's eyes rolled up into her head. The jaw went slack. Kikyo smiled, relaxing her own tense shoulders. Kagome was dead.

But then Kikyo was gasping for air of her own. Two strong clawed hands were around her throat from behind. Inuyasha had come after all.

"KAGOME!" He screamed hysterically. "No, no, KAGOME!" With every word, his hands tightened. Kikyo doubted he even realized what he was doing. He had just needed something to break and her neck was the first available thing.

On her hands and knees, Kikyo sobbed like her mirror image had done just seconds ago.

"Inu.. yasha," she begged. "It's... not..." Any other words were choked off as she was lifted off the ground and thrown against the far wall. After one initial yelp of pain, she slid silently into a placid pool of limbs next to Kagome's limp body. Through watering eyes, she looked up to meet the raging grief of Inuyasha's face. The hatred there told Kikyo he was in his right mind now; he knew exactly what was going.

After three distracted tugs, Tetsuiga was drawn from its sheath. For a moment, Kikyo wondered if it were going to transform. Rumor had it that the sword only transformed when Inuyasha was trying to protect a human. But in this case, the human was already dead.

Inuyasha evidently thought that the sword was enough to finish off a weak body such as hers even in its thin, rusted state. With a terrible cry, he launched himself and the weapon straight at her heart. Kikyo had just enough time to wonder if her cried this way for her when she died when-

Kikyo woke up screaming. Shaking, she grabbed at her chest to protect herself. But the most dangerous thing in her immediate surroundings was a mosquito. It had been a dream. It was always a dream.

Sobbing quietly, hoping she had not alerted some demon to her presence, she pulled herself into a ball. Eyes darted frantically from tree to tree and she pulled the blanket only to her nose so she could continue her paranoid lookout. Later, she would mentally kick herself for being so frightened from only a dream as she always did, but for now, no one was around to witness how pathetic she was being... and acting like a child was the only thing she wanted to do right now.

"It was just a dream, just a dream..." But try as she might, she just couldn't get past both her self-loathing, and her fear of Inuyasha's retribution. She just couldn't believe that-

"She tried to kill Kagome!" Inuyasha snarled, using his lethal claws to reduce an innocent, by-standing tree to a sad pile of splinters. Miroku and Sango stood nearby, watching the violence with quiet contemplation. Sure, they both agreed that Inuyasha had every right to take out his anger on something, even a poor tree… but they really were just glad he wasn't taken it out on them. Well, Shippou had a few sore looking bumps on his head, but that was what he got for cheek during one of Inuyasha's rampages.

Miroku, strangely enough, was the first one to get brave. "You know… Inuyasha…" Miroku's words dried up in his throat under Inuyasha's cold glare.

"Don't bother telling me that she did save Kagome's life," the half-demon hissed. "I was there, so were you, we both saw the knife in Kikyo's hand." At this, emotionally spent, he slid to the ground, wearily pulling his legs into a crossed position. "Kagome…" The others caught only a glimpse of a watery blur in golden eyes before they were hidden behind clawed fingers. Sango shifted uncomfortably, unused to this soft side to the toughest member of their little gang. She wondered briefly if this was the rare side Kagome had fallen in love with. Miroku however, being a man as well, somewhat understood what Inuyasha was going through. If anything happened to Sango… unconsciously, he shook his head to clear the morbid thoughts. However, he realized Inuyasha was having an even tougher time because the attempted murder had been the plan of another woman he had once loved…

The monk lowered himself to his knees, laying a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. "But Inuyasha, whatever ointment Kikyo applied worked. And the stitches… they were neat, tidy." His eyes glazed over in thought. "I doubt there will even be much of a scar when the wound heals…" He sighed. "It'd be such a pity if there was… she has such a beautiful abdomen…"

Inuyasha peeked over his fingers in horror, forgetting the tear trails running down his face. "Don't tell me you were gazing at her when you were examining her earlier!"

Miroku donned a peaceful expression and placed a hand to his heart (as if anyone believed that's what he thought with…). "Far be it from me," he said scholarly, "to ignore such a lovely creature's charms when laid out before me-" He was rewarded with a fist in the mouth for the troubles of his speech.

Sango, very red in the face, walked over and sat on the opposite side of Inuyasha, far away from her perverted boyfriend. "What the moron is trying to say," she began, making sure her glare at Miroku was not unnoticed, "is that before we blindly hunt down and kill Kikyo, maybe we should ask her what she was doing?"

Inuyasha sighed, pulling his knees to his chin. His sad gaze rested on Kagome's sleeping form lying just a few strides away. She was alive, and it looked like it was going to stay that way… but Inuyasha knew something had to be done about Kikyo. For too long her memory had stood between him and the girl he truly loved. And now her clay form was making even more trouble, sometimes siding with evil, sometimes seeming to help good. Her loyalties were unstable, and this made her dangerous.

He stood suddenly, going to Kagome's side to stroke her hair.

"I've made my decision," he said quietly. "I don't trust Kikyo. Forget the Jewel for now; with Kagome unconscious, it's useless anyway. For now, our hunt is for Kikyo." He turned and lifted swollen eyes to meet his friends'. "And make no mistake, this time, I will-"

"-kill her myself!" Naraku snarled, throwing a vase at a far wall and watching the pieces fall with satisfaction.

Kagura also watched the vase crumble, but her satisfaction was based on Naraku's rage. The priestess had really screwed up this time, and Naraku was done with her. Inuyasha would never allow Kikyo to get close enough to steal the shards now that she had tried to kill his girlfriend. Kagura smirked. Jealousy, the human emotion that resulted in the stupidest (and therefore most amusing) actions. And reactions too, she mused, regarding Naraku's twisted face thoughtfully. Then Kagura smirked. This was her chance to get close to Naraku, to fool him into thinking she cared… and could be trusted. This would be an illusion of course, but only she needed to know that.

"Naraku," she purred, kneeling beside her master dutifully. She ignored the look he gave her. If she had paid attention, she would have choked on her own fear.

"She has failed you for the last time, Master, we must let her go." She even took the liberty of stroking Naraku's curly black hair. "We will find another way to get the shards. Use the reincarnation she tried to kill perhaps? Inuyasha has already proven how foolish he can be when it comes to that girl." When Naraku did not respond, Kagura frowned impatiently. "Come now Master, surely you can see that that incompetent whore of a priestess-"

Kagura hit the opposite wall, a full eight feet away from her original position before she even realized she'd been struck. She raised a shaking hand to her stinging cheek, already swelling, as she slid to the floor in shock.

Naraku was on his feet, chest heaving, and eyes a darker maroon than Kagura had ever seen before. Hate radiated off his tense body. What the hell did I do! Kagura screamed at herself, thinking she was about to be decapitated by his bare hands.

But the moment passed. A few minutes later, Kagura remembered how to breathe again. Shallowly.

Naraku sat, facing her but not meeting her eyes. "Perhaps you are right," he mused. "It would seem Kagome would be the rational choice to use against Inuyasha."

Kagura stared in disbelief. He liked her idea! So, that was his version of a happy reaction! Oh gods controlling all things evil, she prayed. Let me never spout off some dumb plan!

Naraku poured some tea and sipped it, apparently forgetting the last few minutes. "This will succeed," he vowed solemnly, more to himself than to Kagura. He raised his eyes, back to their normal color, to Kagura's twitching ones. "Kagome's world… the future… it will be mine."


	4. Chapter 4

Hi, everybody. Sorry for the delay- I have been struggling with this chapter for days. It is very... very... long. Maybe I should have split it into two chapters, but I couldn't find a good place to do that. Now, before you read this... I'm going to apologize. (bows many times) I don't like this chapter. At all. However, it's extremely important for the plot development and potential romance sides of things. The battle scene goes extremely fast and I've been told it's sometimes hard to follow... and the council bit, well... it's complicated. So good luck with it and I hope you can get at least some enjoyment from it... let me know eh:)

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Kikyo stared, panting painfully down at Naraku's dead puppet. Just a few minutes ago it had been frightening, dangerous, but now it was just a mangled mess of swollen slashes and black blood. She looked down at herself and winced. She hadn't fared much better... except that she was alive. She straightened, frowning. She had beat one of Naraku's puppets? By herself? With just a little dagger she kept inside herblouse at all times? Impossible.

And yet, there it lay. She had thought she would die. The roots had just kept coming and her desperate swings rarely penetrated the target. And then, with serious gashes across her forehead and stomach, she had come up with the idea of climbing a tree, and leaping onto the more fragile torso of the puppet. Unfortuneately, she had been winded after her jump and the thing, recovering faster, had immeadiately started strangling her. She rubbed her neck now, already purple and swelling. The thing had been so intent on the strangling thatit had never noticed the little knife in her hand... not, that is, until it was sticking out of its chest.

Kikyo's lip curled. Just what was Naraku up to? Early that morning, Naraku's poisonous insects had showed up at her fire, bearing a short note from their master.

_Priestess, _

_Follow the insects to a clearing in the Shinjuku Forest. Do not get the half-demon involved. _

_The Naraku_

The Naraku? Give me a break, she thought, glaring at the now dead demon puppet she had met upon arrival. A nice greeting it had been, having a root slashed at her head, barely given enough time to duck. Things hadn't looked good for her, what with fighting a sword and all. Cold-hearted, distance fighting with sacred arrows was her thing.

THE Naraku though? Honestly, who did the bastard think he was? Surely there was somebody else in the world with that name... although any parent who gave their kid a name meaning "Hell" seriously deserved to be run through.

"Kikyo."

The priestess spun, leaving the dead puppet at her back to face the new one. She regarded it carefully. As always, it was a complete replica. Same curly hair, same piercing eyes... only this puppet's eyes seemed more intense. More... alive. Kikyo frowned even as her body shivered. Something was different about this one.

And he had yet to transform. In fact, he still wore his baboon cloak, with only his face revealed. And even stranger... instead of his trademark smirk, today he bore a slight grimace. The previous puppet had been grinning, taking obvious pleasure when her blood was spilled.

"Kikyo..." Naraku's copy started, taking a hesitant step forward. Kikyo automatically took a step back and the puppet stopped. The hand he had started to outstretch dropped, and he looked away, jaw twitching. "You failed me."

Kikyo rolled her eyes. "The last puppet and I already went through this." Please, let's just get on with it, she begged silently.

Naraku swept his eyes back to hers. "You know you can never win. The puppets will keep coming... and coming."

Kikyo sighed, and nodded, clenching her fists in front of her chest. "I know. Your master's supply of mignons is quite impressive."

Naraku smirked, but it was sad, self-mocking. "It is, isn't it." With a swift gesture, he threw the cloak off, leaving it to flutter against a nearby tree. "But today is a special day. Today, I will kill you myself."

Kikyo stopped breathing. Naraku?

Ignoring Kikyo, Naraku walked slowly to the side of the thing she had just killed. "Interesting," he murmered.

"You sent a puppet on a suicide mission, just to keep me busy until you got here," she realized out loud. Naraku nodded.

Anger boiled inside Kikyo's stomach. Fine then. But I won't be easy. With a terrific scream, she sprinted at Naraku's unguarded back.

Sparks flew, the metal on metal kind. It was obvious from the start that Kikyo was doomed to fail; Naraku was going easy on her. He had even given her a sword. Sick bastard, she hissed inwardly. He's enjoying this.

Only, he wasn't. Naraku had never been much to show emotion on the outside, but that was simply because he didn't have any. But today, try as he might, he just could not get the corners of his mouth to turn upward. Every one of Kikyo's strained gasps tore at his stomach, leaving him quite ill and even paler than usual. Truth be told, this was the first time in years he himself and left the castle to do the dirty work. I must be quite out of shape, he thought. Remind me not to go up against Sesshomaru myself.

Kikyo had no power compared to either of the dog demon brothers. She should have been dead ages ago, and she knew it. That's it, she thought. I've had enough of your-

A sword lock. Both strained, leaning body strength against their blades.

"You. Bastard," Kikyo hissed, sweating face inches away from Naraku's. "Stop. Playing. Games. With me!"

Naraku shoved her away, immeadiately beginning to circle her. "Games?" He asked thoughtfully, jumping at her only to end up slicing empty air. A strong foot landed in the small of his back, causing him to tumble. He was back on his feet faster than a human eye could follow. Kikyo's downward thrust only penetrated dirt. Quickly, Naraku kickedher borrowed swordso it flew into a bush, disappearing. It was over... she flinched and turned away as a sword handle was thrust towards her chest. Wait... huh?

Kikyo opened her eyes in disbelief to see Naraku offering her a new weapon. Looking up, she saw only impatience in Naraku's eyes. She snarled. What, he wanted more excercise?

She shook her head. "No, Naraku."

Suddenly, her vision was covered by white.

"No more fighting, Kikyo? You want to die now?" Under the baboon cloak she had always hated, Kikyo struggled relentlessly. A sword blade ripped through the fabric, only narrowly missing her arched neck. For a moment after the sword had disappeared again through the hole it had made, all she could do was blink stupidly. Only when the sword plummeted down again, lightly grazing her arm was she able to scream. The noise was muffled against the mutilated fabric, but she knew her assiliant heard it from the increased fever of sword thrusts. Kikyo used the pale shadows through the white haze as her only way of knowing where the blade was coming. Sobbing loudly now, her lungs start aching, in need of oxygen.

"Naraku, stop!" She screamed. "Stop!"

The cloak was ripped away, but Naraku kept his place, hovering in a kneeling position over her stomach. He held his sword over his head, in the position one took before a killing stroke. Kikyo took one last,shuddering breath, holding it and turning her head away. Shaking only slightly, she waited for the oblivion she had once escaped from.

"Naraku!" Inuyasha's harsh voice cut through the clearing. Kikyo's eyes flew open. What was he doing here? Her heart soared-

"She is mine to kill!" Inuyasha shouted at the man on top of her.

- and dropped. Of course. She had "wanted to kill Kagome". She should have known he would come after her.

Naraku growled dangerously, neither finishing the blow or showing any sign of relinquishing his position. "You're too late, Inuyasha."

The sword flew out of his hand just as the point was close enough to Kikyo's throat that she could feel it's coldness. When Naraku leapt away after it, Kikyo used her chance to roll away. It was a good thing too, for in the next moment Inuyasha had plummeted Tetsuiga into the ground that was still warm from her body.

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A triangle of enemies, none allied with the other. Two panting heavily and one not having had enough of a workout yet to even sweat, they eyed each other warily. But before any of them could make the first move, they were interrupted by a strange group of companions bursting noisily out of the surrounding bushes.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted, eyes widening as they rested upon the scene. And what a scene... a dead Naraku puppet, the demon himself, a tattered and torn Kikyo, and of course, Inuyasha. Red and black puddles decorated the little forest clearing hapharzadly. Miroku sighed. Naraku had gotten to Kikyo long before Inuyasha. The girl could barely stand on her feet. She didn't stand a chance.

"Kagome..." the priestess whispered, eyes dazed but clearly settled on Kirara's back. Kagome was perched there, pale, but concious. Blinking the sweat out of her eyes, she slowly managed to raise her head to meet Kikyo's gaze. The effort too much for her in her weak state, she slumped over, hands dropping to Kirara's sides.

Inuyasha's red face practically radiated heat. "Look what you did to her," he hissed at Kikyo.

Kikyo's jaw dropped. "Has your grief twisted your memories, Inuyasha? I never did anything to-"

"You tried to kill her!" Inuyasha screamed, swinging his sword at her face.

Kikyo glared, angry at the lies he was spouting off. "I did nothing," she said coldly. "You interrupted me before I could." Realizing what she had just said, she slapped her hands over her mouth. No, Inuyasha, that's not what I m-

Inuyasha launched himself at the woman, screaming his grief for all to hear. Intermission was over.

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Kagome was losing it, fast. Sango, not able to fight without her boomerang,was watching her, concern in every feature of her face. Is it the stress? The useless demon exterminator wondered, placing a gentle hand to Kagome's wet forehead. She withdrew her hand quickly. Kagome was burning up! Complications from her stomach wound? Sango swivelled her head too quickly, pulling a delicate muscle, but she paid it no mind. Inuyasha was still mindlessly chopping away at the air where Naraku or Kikyo had been tenths of a second before. Miroku wasn't doing much but staring intently at Kikyo. Shippou... where was Shippou? Oh, there. Hopping up and down on a boulder, shouting what he evidently thought were words of encouragement, but sounded like insults to everyone else.

"Inuyasha, you idiot, move faster! There, no there... no... no... BAKA! The little fox demon screamed.

Inuyasha howled and hucked his Tetsuiga at the demon boy. "Dammit, Shippou, go die in a hole!" While the kitsune shook in terror behind the boulder that was serving as a temporary sheath for Tetsuiga, Inuyasha continued to slash with blood-painted claws.

"Shippou!" Sango called. The boy looked up. Seeing a friendly, if not tense, face, the traumatized fox child burst into loud, obnoxious tears.

"Sango!" He sobbed, "Inuyasha tried to kill me!"

It certainly did look that way, Sango thought, but did not voice her opinion. "Shippou, I need you to go get Miroku."

Shippou blinked, then looked to Sango's side, where Kagome was breathing heavily through white lips. Shippou's green eyes widened. "Kagome?" He called uncertainly.

Kagome did not respond. Sango pulled the sick girl to her chest, murmering words of comfort. To Shippou, calling as quietly as she could to avoid disturbing the girl in her arms, she said, "Hurry, Shippou, something's wrong!"

Young as he was, Shippou could see that for himself. Scampering as fast as his little feet would take him, he made his way towards the purple-robed priest. "Miroku, Miroku!" So much distance between them... and a battle to avoid in between. If only Miroku would look up!

But Miroku was off in his own little world of concern. This was wrong. Kikyo may have died once already, but she was a person again. It would be murder. Running his hand through his hair in frustration, he growled, torn on what to do. Dammit, Inuyasha, he swore. If Kikyo had wanted Kagome dead, why had she saved her life first?

He stepped forward, about to intervene when a strong hand with red fingernails clamped over his mouth. "Don't scream," a woman's voice whispered in his ear. Miroku's eyes narrowed in thought; he knew that voice.

"Paguwa?" He tried, but the name didn't come out quite as planned.

"No, you idiot, it's Kagura," she hissed. Miroku had just enough time to roll his eyes when he was pulled behind a tree.

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Panting and heaving, Shippou finally edged around the final shrub to come to where he had seen the priest standing. Only now there was no priest. "Oh no..." Shippou sighed.

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"Okay, wench," Miroku said, business-like. Jumping up and down a bit like the sumaro wrestlers he had seen once, he took what he thought was an impenetrable fighting stance. "Let us begin the bloodshed."

Kagura glared at him coldly. "I'm not here to fight."

"No?" Miroku asked, surprised. He dropped his hands uncertainly. Then a slow grin spread across his face. In a completely different voice, "Oh? Then whatever did you drag me behind a tree for?"

The wind sorceress frowned in confusion at the change in his manner a moment before realization widened her eyes and made her jaw drop in horror. "Oh, gods no." she said, appalled.

Miroku sighed. "Never mind then."

Kagura gritted her teeth. "I'm here to talk."

Miroku's eyebrows shot up into his hair. "Huh?"

Kagura sat on a boulder and motioned for him to the same. Miroku complied, but not before taking a good glance around for a certain little girl with white hair and a dangerous mirror.

Naraku's mignon wasted no time. "I need your help." At Miroku's look of astonishment, she held up a hand to keep him silent. "Let me finish. I've seen the way you look at Kikyo. You don't want her to be killed like this, do you?"

Miroku frowned, mind feverishly working to decode all this behind narrowed eyes. "Yes... I mean, no, I don't think she should be killed here... today."

Kagura smirked. "Neither do I. That is, if she is killed, especially by my master's hands... let's just say I don't think things are going to go very well for me in the near future." Kagura was a smart woman. She had watched Naraku for awhile now, and had finally put two and two together. The only time his carefully built walls collapsed was when Kikyo was involved. The fool was infactuated with the priestess he had murdered fifty years ago. Oh, without irony, the world would be such a boring place.

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I understand..." he said, eyes sliding nervously to the large fan at her side.

Kagura shook her head impatiently. "And you don't need to. All you need to know is that when it comes to Kikyo, we are in agreement."

"I see," Miroku said. "Well then, Kagura, what exactly are you planning?"

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Back at the battle scene, Sango, noticing a decline in the frequency of the breaths going into Kagome's lungs, gave up on her disappearing act boyfriend. Kagome was going to die if something wasn't done.

"Inuyasha!" She screamed. Trapped in a match of strength, Naraku's sword locked against his, Inuyasha automatically turned his head to the call.

"What?" He snapped. "Kinda busy here... Kagome?"

The girl's eyes fluttered for a moment. And then, finally, her strength gave out.

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Naraku watched with interest as Inuyasha ran to the unconcious girl in her friend's arms. That girl was always ruining his battles in some way or other. Something would have to be done about her someday, when this whole business with Kikyo was finished. Speaking of which... he turned to see how the priestess was holding up. Upon the sight, he couldn't help but draw in a quick breath. She was a mess. Her abdomen, upper arms, and forehead were leaking blood by the cupful. Her hair, not only tangled, but also torn out and sliced off in some places. Purple bruises were evident around her neck in a jagged circle where his puppet had tried to choke the breath from her lungs. Naraku turned away. All her wounds were his fault; Inuyasha had not been able to lay a finger, nor his sword on Kikyo's mangled body. Naraku could still feel Kikyo's body squirming desperately beneath his, her sobbing pleas ringing in his ears... he felt sick.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's concerned voice reached his ears, rescuing him from his tormenting thoughts. He watched as Inuyasha shook the girl, trying fruitlessly to recover her from the depths of unconciousness. Out of the corner of his eye, hesaw Kikyo take a hesitant step forward.

"Stay away!" Sango shrieked, hysteria in her voice. Kikyo froze. Naraku did not miss the pain in her face, but he suspected this was more than physical. She didn't try to kill Kagome, he realized suddenly, a wave of intense nausea spreading through his body. Inuyasha got it wrong. He was wrong. This.. all this... he looked down at his bloodstained hands in muted horror.

He looked up at Kikyo, who was still staring at the girl being cradled in Inuyasha's arms, miserable grief darkening her face. And all of a sudden, he wanted to hold her like Inuyasha was holding Kagome... like Kikyo obviously wished she was being held. He wanted to-

He shook his head vigorously. What the hell! No! Yes, Inuyasha had gotten it very wrong, as he was prone to do... but Kikyo was still useless. Inuyasha would never trust her again. So she had to die, or else she would just cause problems. Really, what was wrong with him today? His time of the month was coming up... Pre-Human Syndrome perhaps?The only thing wrong about the fact her blood covering his hands was that they were really his, not some puppet's. He had wanted to kill her himself out of anger... but that was no longer necessary. He would leave. If Inuyasha couldn't do it in the end, another, stronger puppet would suffice.

He turned to go. Goodbye, Kikyo.

"You bitch, you killed her!" Inuyasha howled from behind. Turning automatically, Naraku's eyes widened as he watched Inuyasha speed towards Kikyo, sword ready. Why wasn't Kikyo moving!

And before he knew it, he was sprinting towards Kikyo, sword also at the ready. But it was aimed at Inuyasha. Later, he would insist he had probably been controlled by some otherworldly... thing. But for right now, all that mattered was that Inuyasha be stopped.

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Behind a bush, two pairs of eyes watched carefully for their moment for heroics. It came.

"Now!" Kagura whispered harshly. Miroku leapt forward, unravelling the beads holding hisrobe over his wind-hole with record speed.

"Wind tunnel!" He shouted, careful to aim the vaccuum only at the priestess. Body already slack, she was lifted off the ground and speeding towards him almost before Kagura was ready. When Kikyo was only a few meters away from Miroku's hand, she acted, swinging her oversized fan in a powerful stroke. The force the fan provided overpowered Miroku's just enough, sending Kikyo flying into a tree just to Miroku's right. Her limp body slid into concealing bushes as Miroku covered his wind tunnel quickly. Inuyasha and Naraku, still disentangling their swords, looked over a moment later.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Miroku lied, concealing the nervous tremor in his voice well. "I just didn't want you to regret killing her later."

But of course, Kikyo was alive, hidden away deep in some natural tunnels under a mountain, not too far away from Naraku's castle. Unconcious now, she would awake eventually to find herself in the care of Kagura mainly, with visits from Miroku as often as he could steal away without suspicion. A strange pair of babysitters, but both intent on keeping her alive, even if for different reasons. Andone of them had something to tell her.

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In a very different cave, deep in an unchartered valley of the Western Lands, a group of seven sat in silence. Seven demons, of various species, but each donning their human form for the sake of avoiding any stereotypical animal complications. In this cave, a far cry from Kikyo's crumbling hideaway, a solemn meeting was underway. The topic was said priestess, and both half-demons that had tried to kill her that day. Particularly the spider-scarred Naraku, the miserable creature that had undermined the council's careful plans since his Onigumo days.

"Council," Lord Kaeru ("frog") groaned, dramatically dropping his suspiciously green mottled head in webbed hands. "We've been at this for too long. Consider, if you will, how long us demons live. Now consider that since the initiation of this council, three original members have died, leaving their places to be filled by their sons." He was interuppted by a short aria of deliberate coughing. Blushing slightly, he nodded in recognition of the only female member of the council. "A thousand pardons, dear Lady Sayonakidori ("nightengale"). Or by their daughters." Face becoming stoic once more, he continued. "My point being, gentlemen and lady... we have failed." The council shifted in their seats, turning to each other's neighbors and muttering excitedly without really listening to what each other was saying.

"I object!" Lord Kani ("crab") rose red-faced, striking the wooden table with a strong hand. "You dare to put down this council's efforts, Kaeru? Perhaps it is because you are one of the sons you spoke of that you could never comprehend the responsibility this council has undertaken!"

Chaos insued. Insults were thrown, of both the somewhat deserved and completely dirty kinds. Only one Lord kept silent. Golden eyes regarded the twisted faces of his fellow demons thoughtfully. As one of the sons Kani had so thoughtlessly insulted, Lord Sesshomaru had every right to be yelling along with the best of them. But he stayed in his seat, clawed fingers interlinked. He would choose to ignore Kani's careless insult... for now. It was in Kani's nature. There was a reason why "crabby" had been named after his kind afterall. But this fight was getting ridiculous. Brawls bored Sesshomaru, and Sesshomaru didn't like to be bored.

"Council," he barked, rising. The irritable noise ceased, relieving his sensitive ears. He allowed himself one satisfied smirked, then began. "This bickering is irresponsible. We have an immeadiate problem to deal with."

Lord Washi ("eagle") was the first to sit with a heavy sigh. "With the utmost respect, Lord Sesshomaru... I agree with Lord Kaeru. We bit off more than we could chew... or more than some of us could chew anyway," he attempted a joke, sharing a small smile with Lord Jwani. Jwani repsonded with a sharp-toothed grin that couldn't help but come off as predetorial. Lord Washi continued. "We have made a mess of things. Priestess Midoriko would be ashamed of what has become of the council she learned from and placed so much faith in. The Jewel of Four Souls was a mistake. We should have foreseen the jealousy it would cause in the weakest of our kind. We should cut our losses and be done this with charade."

Lady Sayonakidori rose gracefully. "Be fair to yourself, the rest of this council, and our fathers, Washi. We could never have predicted the rise of such a devious fiend as Naraku. The Jewel was never meant to be used for whatever twisted plan Naraku has for it. Or," she said, shooting a quick glance at Sesshomaru, "to grant a single half-demon, demon, or human unrivaled power."

"What was our plan for it, really?" Lord Sukanku ("skunk") said moodily, brooding as usual that even human form he smelt too bad to be seated near the rest of the council. He glared back at the confused faces that turned to him.

"Uh, you know what it was..." Lord Nezumi ("mouse") said cautiously. "Even back then, our kind realized our time here was dwindling. Humanity had grown, both in population and intellect. The only thing that hadn't grown with this change was their capacity for kindness, acceptance, and sharing." He dropped his head sadly, lowering his voice as well. "We are a doomed race, my friends, and we knew it long ago."

"And so we throught up the Sacred Jewel," Lord Kani continued, letting the grateful Nezumi sink back into his chair and become quiet once more. "A genius stone, beautiful in it's ability to grant one pure wish. Using this gem, the truest would wish for harmony between the races. Demon and human, living together, producing hanyou children." All eyes shifted to Sesshomaru's father, who had been the first of the council to put this notion into practice. It had been a disaster, both for the parents, and both sons.

"I myself taught Midoriko," Lord Kani recalled, blissful memories easing away the lines in his red face. "A talented priestess she was, and full of more empathy than an entire village of human souls could come up with. She could purify a demon's inner... demons... with a single touch. But she knew as well as anyone that the day would come when she met her match... and then her fate, as it comes to all of us. Together, she and I devised a brillant plan to make even her death count for something. Her soul, combined with the demons', burst through her chest in spherical form. Proof that humans and demons could produce something beautiful together." His eyes saddened. "It came all too soon, I'm afraid. Her death."

"Why didn't we use it then? Right when it was made? Wouldn't that have been the smart thing to do?" Sukanku kept at his questioning.

Kani crossed his arms, uncomfortable. "Sukanku. What is this truly about? You have been a member of this council for forty years. Why the questions now?"

Sukanku smirked. "You are all discussing disbanding this council. Before we do just that, I think we should revisit our reason why we are here in the first place. Without careful consideration, we could very well be making a mistake that will cost our race it's very existence."

Kani considered a moment, then nodded. "We needed a someone sympathetic to both sides. A half-demon, torn between worlds, was the obvious answer."

"But the half-demon would need a good reason to want harmony. And there we had a problem, for most half-demons wanted nothing more than to belong to one side, not be the link between both races."

"And then a candidate with a reason presented itself. Inuyasha, in love with the human priestess Kikyo. He was pure. He was the answer. The plan was to present our propisition just as he was about to use the Jewel, when he was prepared to really go through with it. However..."

"Naraku. And now he's poisoning the shards, who knows what for." The room became quiet. All were remembering the predicaments Naraku's psychotic schemes had placed them in.

Lady Sayonakidori was the first to break the silence, doing so with a gentle sigh. "We can't abandon our goal. However indirectly, the fact is we still bear some responsibility to the fact that Naraku has the power he does. We are tired, but we must see this through."

It took a moment, but then, the others nodded around the table. Sukanku leaned back in his chair, content with his success and planning on slipping off into a daydream for the rest of the meeting.

"Well then," Lord Yagi ("goat") sighed. "Back to our current dilemna. Do we interfere in the well-beings of Kikyo and Kagome as they are the only ones currently able to purify the shards after Naraku has defiled them? Or, considering only Kagome for a moment, do we let her remain in the claws of Inuyasha, who, when considering Kagome's near-death experience, may not be as much a suitable guardian as we once hoped. And as for Kikyo... her life is in evident danger. The monk and the sorceress have surprised us with their teamwork regarding Kikyo's safety, but can we trust two people from such different sides?"

Sesshomaru stirred, drawing all attention to him. "Inuyasha loves Kagome. It was obvious from the first time I saw them together. For now at least, he would rather die than see her killed."

"And Kikyo and Naraku?" Yagi pressed.

Sesshomaru smirked. "About them... we may have another, very interesting problem..."

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And there you have it. Now, I realize that was complicated, so if anyone has any questions, drop me a message. Until next time then... Voldemort's Alisna


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter is dedicated to Christina. Without her review yesterday, there would have been no more to this story... This authoress has low confidence in her story telling abilities. The cure? Reviews. :)

Washi- "Eagle"  
Sayonakidori- "Nightengale"

Enjoy.

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_"You bitch, you killed her!" Inuyasha howled from behind. Turning automatically, Naraku's eyes widened as he watched Inuyasha speed towards Kikyo, sword ready. Why wasn't Kikyo moving! _

_And before he knew it, he was sprinting towards Kikyo, sword also at the ready. But it was aimed at Inuyasha. Later, he would insist he had probably been controlled by some otherworldly... thing. But for right now, all that mattered was that Inuyasha be stopped. _

_When his sprint had brought him close to Kikyo, he raised his sword in a deadly horizontal thrust. His sword was held in his left hand while the other outstretched as far as it could go, ready to push Kikyo out of the way at the last minute, right before he ran Inuyasha through. If all went well, Inuyasha wouldn't see him until it was too late. Almost there... his fingers brushed against Kikyo's tattered kimono top and he tensed, knowing he would only get one chance to save her and take care of the meddlesome mutt. Almost there... _

_And then suddenly, she was gone. Instead of Kikyo's tragic, vacant expression, Inuyasha's ugly face was coming closer and closer. Rage was still evident on the mutt's face, but it was quickly being replaced by confusion at the priestess's disappearance, and fear when he realized Naraku's sword was a mere metre away from his chest. _

_So intent on avoiding being speared, the half-demons never actually saw Kikyo being sucked into Miroku's wind tunnel. But they instantly knew what had happened when they looked up to see the monk wrapping the purple cloth around his hand, his face a picture of regret. _

_"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," the monk said quietly. "I just didn't want you to regret killing her later." _

Naraku opened his eyes slowly and stared at the dark ceiling, expressionless. He hadn't been dreaming; he hadn't slept since that day when Kikyo died. No, he had just been remembering, as he had been doing for a week. Mainly he was thinking about her deaths. How she had fallen the first time when he sliced her open from abdomen through shoulder. How she had shook from betrayal, mistaking her murderer. And then this time, how her eyes had widened when she realized he had come for her himself. She had been scared, and surprised. And also... sad. Was it because she realized she was going to die by his hand again?

But he hadn't done it. And he wouldn't have gone through with it. His motivation for killing her personally had been misplaced. Nevertheless, she was no longer useful to him and therefore didn't merit protection, nor the effort, however slight, it would take to kill her. He had turned away, letting Inuyasha do whatever he pleased. After all, if he ever realized he had been wrong, it would crush him... and Naraku would love nothing more.

He sat up suddenly, rubbing his sore red eyes. This is stupid, he told himself. It _was _stupid. He could come up with no reason to explain his inappropriate behavior and the thoughts that had caused him to try and save the priestess. It was a split second decision, and a very moronic one at that, he decided. And it wouldn't happen again. His lip curled in morbid irony. Of course it wouldn't. She was dead.

Something cracked loudly. He turned his head to see that the flask in his hand had crumpled. Rolling his eyes, he called Kagura for another.

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On the other side of the good and evil spectrum, Inuyasha wasn't doing so well in the conscience department either. When he had mistaken Kagome's condition as death, he had been overcome with grief. As he wasn't a patient half-demon on the best of days, it wasn't surprising that the outlet for his misery was violence. He would have killed her. He should have killed her.

He hadn't spoken to or even seen Miroku for awhile; he wasn't sure how long it had been. Days blurred now. Kagome was very weak, but Kaede assured him she was in stable condition now. For now, shard hunting was on hold and Inuyasha's days were spent sulking, checking in on Kagome, brooding, stroking Kagome's hair while she slept, then going off into a corner to glare darkly some more. As for his friends... Miroku had taken off without a word, leaving Sango a tearful mess. Shippou had gone after him, only to wander upon the village a few days later, surprised to find he had been going in circles. Kirara left Sango's side only to visit Kagome. Overall, the usually cheerful group was decidedly miserable.

Suddenly, Inuyasha raised his head, nose twitching. The wind had brought him the scent of a demon. With a little concentration and a whole lot more twitching... he frowned. An eagle? Such creatures were rare, let alone demons of the same form. He looked over to the sleeping girl a few feet away, sleeping peacefully. Of course, he couldn't tell if the eagle demon had a shard with him relying on his own senses. Focusing his eyes elsewhere, his gaze lingered on the dented sword leaning against the far wall. Truth be told, all this sitting around waiting for Kagome to get better and the murderous monk to return was grating on his already thin nerves. He was itching for some action. He sighed, knowing full well it was pathetic that he was hoping the eagle demon would be a 'bad guy', so he could kick some ass. He smirked. So the decision was made. Pulling the fire rat kimono over his head, he grabbed Tetsuiga and left the hut, never seeing that Kagome's eyes had fluttered open.

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Lord Washi sat back into the branches of the tree he was perched in. He was very uncomfortable; due to the increase in the council's meetings, he had rarely had the oppurtunity to be in his eagle form. Now that he had the chance... it felt weird. He shifted, frowning. Why did the oldest of the council members have to do the field work? He was much more comfortable with giving the orders, and dealing with the reports. Watching Inuyasha mope was really uninteresting and the one he was really supposed to be watching was even worse; she wasn't even moving.

He stiffened, feeling the wind give him news. The girl was awake. He sighed in relief. He could leave this accursed tree finally to deliver the good news. Hopefully Sayonakidori, who had been given the job of watching Kikyo's recovery, would also have some good news. Wings spread for flight, he prepared to leave.

A new sound on the wind made him pause. With as much of a snarl as he could muster with a beak, he realized he had screwed up. It had been so long since he had tried his wing at spying. He should have recognized the change in the direction of the wind, bringing his scent directly to a certain dog half-demon's sensitive nose. Washi had no desire to fight. And even if his feelings were to the contrary, the council would be appalled if one of their members was revealed. Speed was of the escence here. With one last quick look at the village he had been staring at for the most boring week in his life, he spread his overly large wings and sped west.

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Naraku was extremely pissed off. More so than usual. So someone thought they would have a little fun with the Naraku's head, eh? Make him look like an idiot then have a good laugh about it? Oh he would show them. He would not be defeated, no matter what this enemy threw at him.

"Damn you, stop breaking!" He yelled as the grey portion of the thin writing utensil broke off again with a snap and flew across the room. Snarling, the angry half-demon threw the small red cylinder to join the broken lead.

"It appears humans in the future are just as stupid and useless as they are now," Kagura observed from the corner. She knocked a larger black cylinder against the floor in disgust. "I can't figure out for the life of me what this does."

Naraku ignored her. "What is the purpose of a writing utensil that allows you to write a single word before breaking?" With a grunt of disgust, he turned to the backpack Kanna had taken from Kagome's bedside when she was asleep. The little girl had thought it would be prudent for Naraku and his mignons to get some sort of idea of what the future was like before they took it over. So far, their progress with the strange devices was beginning to convince Naraku that perhaps the future was really not worth the trouble.

Suddenly, he was blinded. Snarling and shielding his eyes, he saw that Kagura had managed to make the black cylinder produce light. He snarled again. Great, everyone was doing better than he was.

"Give me that," he growled, grabbing the strange light device. To his horror, the light disappeared. With a howl, the black cylinder joined the red one several feet away. He was cursed, there was no other explanation.

Kagura was silent. This was an unpredicted predicament. The plan had been simple. Gather the shards to make the wish to be able to go through the well. Once there, use their combined strength to make the pitiful, swollen population of humans bow down before their rightful master, Lord Naraku. They had all assumed the humans couldn't have progressed that much. But their capacity for stupidity, and for creating even more stupiditiy was simply amazing. And these devices were just from Kagome's bag of tricks. Who knew what else awaited the evil threesome on the other side?

"What we need," Kagura said slowly, pulling at her lower lip thoughtfully, "is a scout."

Naraku looked up, delicate features working in contemplation. "A scout..." He repeated. For a moment, he looked hopeful. But then he realized it was impossible. "No, it wouldn't work. Only Inuyasha's whore can go through the well."

Kagura frowned. "Inuyasha has gone through before..."

Naraku snorted. "That's even worse."

Kagura sighed. Of course, it was a stupid idea. The only other way would be to collect all the shards. Once collected, they could send a scout, but somehow Kagura doubted Naraku would have the patience to wait. Unless they could force Kagome to teach them... but there was so much to teach, and how long could they hold her against her will? Only Kagome... she stiffened. Kagome was the reincarnation.

"Kikyo," she said, not realizing she was speaking out loud.

A crash from the other side of the room made her realize what she had done. Looking up guiltily, she saw that Naraku was staring at her. Bits of shimmering black glass littered the floor around his feet.

"What?" He whispered. Kagura swallowed, making a mental reminder never to say the priestess's name. At least no until she revealed that she was alive, and safe.

"Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation. Perhaps she would have been able to-"

"No."

"But, my lord-"

"No. Maybe she could have. But she's dead. Think of something else." Without meeting her eyes, he left the room.

She's dead. She's dead. She's dead... She's not coming back this time. His toy- no. His Kikyo. His Kikyo. She was...

An anguished scream ripped through the silence of the night. A silent breeze picked up the sound, taking it to the side of a mountain. Finding a small entrance, it tunneled down through the dark depths, finally reaching a small, dimly lit cave. It then came to the ears of a monk in purple, and the patient in his arms. And finally, for the first time in a week, Kikyo opened her eyes.

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	6. Chapter 6

Hello, dear readers. The reviews were wonderful, and I would have had a chapter up sooner except that I was away on vacation. Rest assured, the first thing I did when I got back was read the reviews (and grin like an idiot) and immeadiately start working on this chapter.

This is a slow chapter, heavy on dialogue and thought progression. It's not the most entertaining thing I've ever written, but it is necessary for the romance and plot development. I promise, the next chapter will be quite... fun. :D

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Kikyo awoke with an extreme headache to the sound of a distant scream. Her mind still set to the situation a week past, at first she thought it was her own voice. Then she realized it was male.

Her eyes flashed open. The first thing she saw was a familar purple robed chest. Before she could think, she groaned.

Miroku, who had been staring in the direction of the scream with a contemplative frown, swung his troubled gaze back to the patient in his lap. When he saw she was finally concious, a relieved smile spread across his face.

"Good morning, Kikyo," he said pleasantly.

Kikyo blinked stupidly, the memories from the battle flashing through her mind in rapid succession. They finally came to a stop with a memory of flying towards Inuyasha's monk, his cursed hand outstretched, ready to pull her into her death...

She screamed. Thrashing frantically, she managed to roll away from the monk who, in her opinion, was trying to kill her. Scrambling to her feet before Miroku could figure out what had happened, she had already disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel before he caught up with her.

"Kikyo, wait a minute!" He shouted, grabbing her shoulder. She wrenched away and would have continued if she hadn't run into another person. Too surprised to recover in time, she fell to the stone floor.

"Geez, monk, what did you try to do the woman?" A female voice drawled. Kikyo looked up, startled. Kagura? She looked back to the monk in question, expecting to see him unravelling the robe from his hand in preperation for battle. To her surprise, he was doing nothing of the sort.

"You misjudge me," Miroku said indignatly. Kagura rolled her eyes. Kikyo was just lost, but it was out of character for her to be emotional, and she was calming down fast.

"So, priestess," Kagura snarled, "you live to see another day." She snorted.

Kikyo frowned, but did not retaliate. "Am I alive? Because in the world I know, you and the monk would never be in such close proximity without a weapon at each other's throats."

Miroku cleared his throat. "An unseen alliance, my dear."

"We rescued you," Kagura got right to the point.

Kikyo's eyebrows rose. Yes, she had gathered that she had been rescued; she couldn't have gotten out of that predicament by herself. But one of Naraku's mignons and one of Inuyasha's lackeys working together to save someone neither of them cared for? She had truly re-risen in a twisted time.

"We had our reasons," Kagura continued, noticing Kikyo's expression. "And I suppose we'll have to explain them. But first, you must trust that for the time being, we have no interest in killing you, or each other."

Kikyo looked to Miroku, who nodded. Hardly a reassuring speech, but Kikyo could see she didn't have much choice. Everyone else was very clear that they wanted her dead. She offered no resistance when Miroku took her arm and guided her back to the small, fire-lit cave. The three sat in a triangle around the small flames.

"Naraku is unwell," Kagura began, watching carefully for Kikyo's reaction. The priestess didn't move, but Kagura noticed how tense she sat. Was it the fact she was surrounded by people she had always considered enemies or out of concern for Kagura's dark master? Kagura could remember the day she had first considered a possible connection between Naraku and the priestess.

_Without batting an eyelash, Kikyo strung her bow, aiming it at Kagura's heart. Kagura just watched. She could easily dodge the arrow if the woman released her arrow. _

_"Tell me," Kikyo said quietly. "Is this all Naraku's doing?" _

_Kagura laughed silently in glee, believing at the time that Naraku had finally met his end. "Are you still worried about that rotting corpse?" She shot back, barely able to contain her mirth. _

_Kikyo's face fell. "He's dead?" She whispered... _

They had both been wrong, Kagura mused. But Kikyo's reaction... Kagura truly believed Kikyo cared for Naraku, if only on some subconcious level. If Kagura's plan was to work, she would have to bring these hidden feelings to the surface.

"He thinks you're dead," Kagura returned to the discussion. "And it's tearing him apart."

Kikyo's head shot up from the cup of water Miroku had handed her. The movement caused pain to shoot through her throbbing head. "What do you mean?"

Kagura hesitated. She couldn't exactly reveal Naraku's plan with Miroku here. "He's... planning something," she said slowly, shooting Miroku a look to not ask any questions. "But he's distracted, and so the plans goes not so well. All our preperations are in vain because he's plagued by memories of your deaths."

Anger surged inside Kikyo. This was a bad thing?

"I don't see what that has to do with this," Kikyo replied after a moment. "It doesn't explain why you saved me."

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Our reasons were different, but our purpose was the same. I chose to save you because Naraku is obsessed with you."

Kikyo choked on her water. When her eyes had cleared and the burning pain was gone, she laughed humorlessly. "Yes, he is," she managed to get out between coughs.

Kagura was surprised. Kikyo knew?

Kikyo took another tentative sip to soothe her throat. "He's obsessed with killing me. He just can't seem to get enough." Her own words hurt her, but she didn't let it show. Before Kagura could reply, Kikyo turned to Miroku. "Does Inuyasha think I'm dead?" She asked.

Miroku nodded. "Only us three know otherwise."

Kikyo frowned. "What was your reason?"

Miroku met her eyes, unusually solemn. "I didn't believe you would've actually killed Kagome," he said bluntly.

Kikyo didn't answer. She couldn't honestly say she wouldn't have. She sighed. "So what is your plan then? You've saved my life once, but how far are you willing to go? When they find out I'm alive, they'll come after me again." And this time, she thought, she'd let them. She had nothing to live for anymore.

The silence confirmed Kikyo's thoughts. They would never stick with her until the end; these people weren't friends. Since her priestess days, Kikyo had never had friends.

"We haven't actually thought about that yet," Miroku said slowly. "I guess you'll have to stay here until we diffuse the situation with Naraku and Inuyasha, and until your head wound has healed."

With nothing else to say, the meeting broke up, the three either staying or going their seperate ways.

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Kikyo stayed by the fire long after the others had gone. Her rescuers had prescribed sleep for her headache, but her nerves would not allow that. Try as she might, she could not get Kagura's words out of her head. _He thinks your dead and it's tearing him apart. _

Kikyo never cried. Even when she believed the half-demon she loved had killed her. Even when she was giving her little sister Kaede instructions for her cremation, knowing she had seconds to live. And yet she felt tears flooding her eyes, barely kept at bay. She was disgusted with herself that she felt guilty somehow. Naraku was obviously confused, torn between the demons defiling his soul and the barely human part of Onigumo. She had always known the filthy thief had had an infactuation with her. It was a feeling she could never have returned, for she had been too in love with Inuyasha and Onigumo was... well, he was barely human when she had taken him in. And now, it was even worse. Naraku was evil, pure and simple. He had destroyed her life as well as many other's. He would do it again, and again... then why did she...

She took a deep shuddering breath, placing her throbbing head in trembling hands. "Damn," she breathed, "this is ridiculous. Naraku killed me once. And he tried to kill me again." But did he? Behind closed eyes, she watched as Inuyasha sped towards her, ready to impale her without a second thought. But out of the corner of her eye... Naraku was also racing towards her. But unlike Inuyasha's face, Naraku's was twisted with panic. Perhaps it was the concussion talking, but to Kikyo, it appeared like Naraku had been trying to save her. Another scene haunted her mind. It was not so much a memory of sight, but of sensation. Naraku on top of her, a sword piercing the cloak that cover her relentlessly until she had begged him to stop...

There was a reason Kikyo had supressed all her weak human emotions for so long. She really couldn't handle them. With her stomach raging a war between a strange swoop at the memory of Naraku looking down at her on a cliff so many days ago and the cold clench of fear at the memory of him sitting on her stomach, Kikyo fell asleep with tears on her face for the first time in her life.

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Many miles away, Sango sat at the edge of the village, her new boomerang at one side as a precaution, full-sized Kirara at the other. She had sat in the same spot every night for a week, waiting for any sign of Miroku. The last time she had seen him, he had just killed Kikyo. Then, sometime while Sango had been taking care of Kagome, he had managed to disappear. Perhaps out of fear of Inuyasha's anger or out of shame. Not for the first time, Sango cried silently. How could he have thought that he couldn't trust her enough to come with him, or even just enough to tell her where he was going? She loved him, she always had. She had decided long ago that even he committed murder... which he had... she would stand by him. But she couldn't stand by someone who wasn't there.

She stood abruptly, turning to look back at the village where Kagome slept, Inuyasha no doubt sitting close by. Just the thought of one lover supporting the other sufficed as her decision. Kneeling to write a short message in the clay-like dirt, she finished quickly and lept deftly onto Kirara's back.

"Fly, Kirara," she whispered, not looking back as the demon cat propelled of the ground and into the dark sky.

On the ground, the loose dirt swirled from the kick off, landing to rest thinly upon the words 'Gone to find Miroku. Won't come back without him.'

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To anyone who is considering reviewing right now, I have a question I would like to ask... how is the romance going?I realize pretty much nothing has happened so far because I'm trying to make a very strange couple happen realistically... I guess what I would like to know is, would you like thefirst kissto finallyhappen at the end, or soon? Any opinions and/or suggestions will be considered and appreciated. :)


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter is dedicated to Cold Kikyo, for reviewing not only once, but three times. And thanks to N.A.C.- your review made me chuckle, a rare thing indeed.

And here it is, a fun chapter. Enjoy.

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The forest was green and lush, full of vibrant life. Birds chirped against a perfectly azure sky while a family of rabbits scampered beneath moss covered logs. The scene was perfectly picteresque. Naraku loathed it.

Glaring around at his surroundings with unmasked disdain, Naraku felt none of the peace most who came here did. The "great" outdoors held little calming quality to a disturbed mind such as his. Indeed, he felt most at home just there, home. He rarely left whenever possible. His pale complexion was the result of this.

But today, he was a man on a mission. If Naraku had ever gone to a psychologist, the doctor would have prescribed two things: a woman's companionship, and a hobby. Soon after, Naraku would have removed his head to keep him from telling anyone the conversation had ever taken place. But as of late, he was surprised to find he had actually found something he liked to do in his spare time. That is, when he wasn't plotting to take over the world.

Bending down, he removed a wide blade from the waist of his pants and began to carve out a deep sphere of clay for his pottery project. The soft touch of the clay soothed him like nothing else could. The smell reminded him of something... or perhaps someone.

Quite suddenly, with inhuman speed and grace, Naraku spun. For a moment, he thought he heard something. Frowning, he focused. There was something near. A growling something.

Shrugging, he turned back to his task. As nothing could hurt him, he felt no concern. A few more deft slices, and the sphere of clay was ready for transport. Dropping the material quickly into a small leather pouch, he started to reach for the blade still stuck in the dirt.

A loud, low-pitched scream of blood lust shook the forest. Instinctively, Naraku spun again, grabbing at his sword. Unfortuneately, as his head was swivelled in the other direction, he didn't see where his hand was grabbing.

He bit his lip hard as his hand was severed nearly in half when he gripped the blade and not the hilt. Ignoring the hungry sounds coming closer with alarming speed, he turned to regard the damage. To his disgust, he had really done a number on himself. The cut was horizontal across his palm and fingers, and so deep that bone had been knicked and a couple of digits hung loosely. If he had been entirely human, the blood loss alone would have killed him. As it was, he wouldn't die from a wound like this. However... he glanced back through the trembling trees warily. As arrogant as he was, Naraku knew when he was in no shape to fight. Cursing the clay, the blade, and his own stupidity, he gathered up his things quickly and sprinted in the direction of his castle.

The beast burst through the trees a moment later. Naraku glanced at it only once, and immeadiately increased his speed. The beast was a large purple demon, at least twenty feet high. Reddened eyes portruded from it's square head, making the creature seem crazy. It's growling and drooling certainly added to this impression. But what worried Naraku the most was its incisors- comparible to the size of a man, they could easily slice him down the middle with one well-aimed thrust.

Leaping over logs and dodging treacherously low tree branches, Naraku thought as fast as his blood-deprived brain would allow. Not only was his furiously beating heart making things worse by pumping out his life force, but there was now a perfect red trail that even a mindless monster could follow. He glanced up, peering through a red haze and the trees to where he knew his castle was. _Shit,_ he swore. He would never get there in time.

He shot a look over his shoulder. So after all those magnificent battles against the best of the best, the Naraku was going to die under the claws of some nameless demon who probably could never understand who he was eating? The thought was so proposterous that Naraku nearly laughed. Nearly.

Well then, running was getting tiresome, fighting was not a good idea, being eaten was out of the question. Hiding?

"The caves," he panted out loud. Turning left suddenly, he smirked at the sound of a large body crashing into a tree. Big bodies were frightening for sure, but they had no capacity for grace.

Naraku knew he was slowing when the beast caught up a few minutes later. Luckily, the stone mountain that was riddled with natural caverns was straight ahead. Gritting his teeth, he used his last ounce of strength to propel himself through the first opening in the rock wall he saw. The beast howled outside, wailing on the outer walls with full claws. Naraku scrambled backwards crab-like, knowing it was only a matter of time before the demon crumbled the wall of stone seperating him from his food. Naraku squinted into the darkness. Surely there was another way out; this mountain was quite the ant hill.

Pulling himself to his feet he jogged into the darkness, red eyes expanding to take in more light. Feeling light-headed, he braced himself on either side of the small tunnel. A moment later, he stopped, hands on knees to rest. Surely he had lots of time.

Behind him, rocks shattered and the cavern shook. He sighed. He really wasn't in the mood for this type of excercise today.

He ran. The beast pursued.

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Kikyo was shaken awake roughly. Looking around in alarm, she watched as fine dust was dislodged from the ceiling, falling to lightly coat her campfire. The light was dimming quickly. Earthquake?

Quickly, she scrambled to her feet. Both the monk and Kagura had been clear she was never to leave the cave, but if she listened to them in this case, her rescuers wouldn't have a patient to worry about anymore.

With chunks of rock falling freely around her head, Kikyo launched blindly into the dark, holding her breath to keep from inhaling dangerous amounts of dust. Stones pummelled her body.

The shaking was getting worse. She frowned, stopping a moment to cough into her arm. She was beginning to suspect this wasn't an abnormally long earthquake after all.

She began to run again, but was stopped suddenly when she ran into another body running in the other direction. Yelping, she flailed her arms futilely, trying to keep herself from falling. In the end though, it wasn't her pathetic efforts that kept her off the ground, but a strong arm grabbing hers.

"You don't want to go that way," a gruff voice said. The arm pulled her along, back the way she had come.

Naraku lost track of how far he had been running. All he knew was that the monster was truly hungry to keep coming after him. Surely there was some easier prey around? Squinting into the dark, he gripped the woman's wrist unconciously. How much of a lead would throwing her to the beast give him?

"In here!" The woman shouted suddenly, taking off to the right. Thrown off guard, Naraku followed. This new tunnel led up hill. Slowly, the sounds of destruction faded and the darkness peeled away. Reaching a natural sun-bathed stone balconey, Naraku collapsed, dragging the other escapee down with him. He lay there for a few seconds, panting. All this trouble over a pottery project, he snarled at himself silently.

"Naraku?" The woman whispered suddenly. Naraku looked over in annoyance. The sight had him feeling sick.

It was his priestess.

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Miroku trudged back to his makeshift campsite after another afternoon of watching over Kikyo until she fell asleep. He was glad for some time to think. He had been gone for nearly two weeks now; no doubt his friends were concerned about him. Well, maybe not Inuyasha. The monk winced. Sooner or later, he acknowledged, he would have to face the music.

But until that unfortunate time, he sighed, arriving at the small clearing he had inhabited for a while now, he would just have to live with the fact that he might never be able to rejoin the circle. He closed his eyes and sat at the base of a tree, not bothering to pull out his sleeping pad. Sango's form swam against his lids, smiling at him shyly, reaching out to touch his face. It was the memory of the night they had first... Miroku sighed. He had slept with so many women in his life, and asked many more. His reasons had been to provide a son before he died, someone to vanquish Naraku and destroy the family curse before he died. Sango had been different. He smiled gently.

"Miroku," her soft voice came. Miroku sighed again in bliss, ready to indulge in a fantasy. Or perhaps just a memory; there were plenty to choose from.

"Miroku," it came again, more demanding. Miroku frowned and opened his eyes. Had he mistaken Kagura's voice for Sango's?

There she stood, a vision in... mud stained clothes. Miroku stood quickly. What was she doing here?

Sango's face was swollen and stained with tears. Long black hair strands hung limp and lifeless, like the rest of her body. Her eyes had lost their sparkle. Miroku winced visibly; only grief could do this to such a beautiful woman.

"What are you doing here?" He said quietly. As much as he longed for her company, this was a really bad time. If she found out about Kikyo, everything would have been for nothing. If she found out about the alliance with Kagura... things could get out of hand.

When Sango didn't answer, Miroku jumped to the worst conclusion. "Oh no, is Kagome..."

"She's alive."

"Ah."

Silence.

Miroku broke down, needing to touch her. "Sango," he started, stepping forward and reaching for her hand. To his dismay, she immeadiately stepped back.

"Don't touch me. You left without saying anything. Why?" Her face was impenetrable, eyes cold and hard. Miroku had only ever seen her like this whenever Naraku was mentioned. It was meant to push people away, to keep anyone from breaching her defenses... it scared him. What's more, he could only blame himself for the change.

"I... had something I had to do," he avoided her eyes. They knew him too well.

"Of course," she replied, no emotion in her voice. She paused. "Kagome needed you," she said finally.

Miroku quirked an eyebrow. "I don't believe this is about Kagome."

Sango's eyes grew brighter and seemed to quiver. She looked to the ground, unable to watch the carefully chosen words come out of her lover's mouth. "I needed you," she whispered, nearly too quiet for Miroku to hear. The trigger was immeadiate, and the tears fell.

She couldn't have fought if she wanted too. She closed her eyes as Miroku drew into his arms, one hand gripping her shoulder and the other tangling in her hair.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against her hair. His grip tightened.

Both would have stayed that way for a long time, but Sango came to her senses. She pushed him away quickly, trying to ignore the hurt look in his eyes. This was not something that could just be fixed by a hug.

"Tell me everything," she ordered. The tone of her voice left no room for discussion.

Miroku sighed and retook his seat, patting the empty space beside him as an invitation. Sango obliged.

"I... had to get away," he lied, a headache already growing persistant. He wished he could tell her the truth more than she could ever believe. "After I... after Kikyo..."

A reasurring hand took his trembling one. The loving gesture was nearly enough to make him blurt out everything. He knew he could be ruining any chance they had together, for an honest girl such as Sango would never, could never, understand why the man she loved would feel the need to lie to her. There would never be any going back to the way things were before.

"I understand," she said quietly, rubbing her thumb up and down his palm. "But why couldn't you tell me?" Her eyes radiated hurt.

Miroku looked away. "There's something else going on... someone else involved."

The gentle hand withdrew. "Who?"

Miroku was silent. Sango persisted.

"A woman?" Miroku could not miss the pain in her voice. He wished he hadn't asked so many woman to sleep with him in front of her. How could she ever trust him now?

"Look, Sango, it's not what you think-"

"Whatever have we here," another female voice came from the bushes. Sango looked over quickly. Miroku, used to the voice by now, just closed his eyes in defeat.

"The demon slayer," Kagura drawled. Miroku opened his eyes slowly to discover a heartless smirk on her lips. She would reveal everything.

"Kagura," Sango hissed, eyes darting to the wind sorceress's side, where she had left her weapon and Kirara. She was horrified to see Kirara unconcious. The boomerang was nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, she raised herself to her feet, ready for some good old hand to hand combat.

Beside her, Miroku stood. "Why are you here?" He asked quietly.

Kagura tapped her fan against her mouth, regarding Sango's condition for a moment with cynical glee. "Something's happened and I need to talk to you."

Miroku felt Sango tense beside him. "Can it wait?" He asked after a moment.

It was the wrong reply. Kagura's eyes flashed angrily. Before Miroku could stop her, she lowered her fan and leaned against the nearest tree suggestively. "What's wrong, my love? Haven't you told the girl yet that you like real women?"

A wave of nausea rolled over Miroku. Sango, slightly ahead of him, might as well have been made of stone.

"Sango," he began. Kagura would have none of it. She was in front of him in an instant. Before he could react, her lips were pressed against his, their bodies locked. Miroku froze, horrified. Her face shifted, lips gliding across his cheek to his ear, stroking his hair.

"Kikyo's gone. There's blood all over what's left of the cave."

Miroku jumped out of her callous embrace, eyes wide. Kagura watched his face closely. Seeing he was in too much shock to cover his horror, she donned a smirk and turned to Sango, who was watching the exchange and looking like she wanted to kill herself.

"For such a pervert," Kagura laughed lightly, "he has such a weak stomach when it comes to the subject of bondage." She winked at Sango. "Didn't you two ever try spiked whips?"

Even though it was getting dark, Miroku could swear Sango went green. He himself couldn't have looked much better.

He blinked to clear his head. Both Sango and Kikyo needed him. He raised his eyes to meet Kagura's. To his surprise, he saw pity. But there was also determination. They had come this far. Kikyo was their responsibility.

The pain nearly too much for him to bear, he turned to Sango. "Go home, Sango." Unable to look into her face anymore, he turned away, letting Kagura take his hand and pull him in the direction of the cave.

A shrill voice stopped the two in their tracks. "Miroku, don't, you can't leave! I'm pregnant!"

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Feeling ripped off? Don't worry, full Naraku/Kikyo reunion next chapter. And we'll get back to Miroku and Sango eventually, possibly next time.

Wondering about the "random" hobby choice? Kikyo's made of clay. Just making sure...

Please review. You know they keep me/the storygoing.


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